The executive committee of the owners corporation is a group which represents owners or owners’ nominees.

It administers the day-to-day running of the strata scheme and is elected at each Annual General Meeting (AGM). The owners corporation decides the number of executive committee members for the coming year at each AGM. It can have from 1–9 members, but in a two-lot scheme both owners must be members.

Once the executive committee is elected, the members of the committee decide who is to hold the office-bearer positions.

The owners corporation has the authority to dismiss some or all of its executive committee. An owners corporation may also employ a strata managing agent and/or caretaker to carry out some or all of the responsibilities of the executive committee.

Composition

The following are eligible for election to the executive committee:

an owner
a company nominee of a corporation that is an owner
a person who is not an owner but who is nominated by an owner who is not standing for election.

If a vacancy occurs during the term of the executive committee, the owners corporation must appoint a person to fill the vacancy until the next AGM.

Co-owners can only be nominated by:

an owner who is not a co-owner of that lot, or
a co-owner of that lot who is not a candidate for the election.

Meetings

There is no legal requirement for how often executive committee meetings must be held. One-third of the executive committee members may ask the Secretary to call an executive committee meeting and set a time for the meeting to be held.

If the Secretary is away, any other executive committee member may be asked.

Notice

The Secretary must put a notice about the meeting on the noticeboard at least 72 hours before an executive committee meeting is held. If the owners corporation doesn’t have a noticeboard, or the scheme is a large one, the meeting notice must be given to each owner and executive committee member. The notice must have a detailed agenda.

If the Secretary is away and another executive committee member was asked to hold the meeting, that member must put the notice on the board or give a copy to each owner and executive committee member. In a large scheme, notice may be given by email.

Owners’ attendance

An owner or, where the owner is a corporation, the company nominee of the corporation can attend executive committee meetings but they cannot speak at the meeting unless the executive committee agrees by majority vote.

Chairperson to preside

If the Chairperson is present they must preside at all meetings of the executive committee. If the Chairperson is away, the executive committee must appoint another executive committee member to chair that meeting only. The Chairperson does not have a deciding vote.

Quorum

The quorum for an executive committee meeting is at least half of the members.

Voting

Each executive committee member has one vote. The Chairperson does not have a casting vote under any circumstances. A decision on any motion at an executive committee meeting is made by a majority vote.

Adjournment of meetings

An executive committee meeting can be adjourned for any reason if a motion is passed at the meeting for the adjournment. Notice of when and where the adjourned meeting is to take place must be put on the noticeboard. If there is no noticeboard, a written notice must be given to each owner at least one day before the meeting.

Non-attendance at meetings

An executive committee member can appoint another owner or company nominee, whether or not they are a member of the executive committee already, to vote for them at an executive committee meeting. This must be approved by the executive committee.

Voting in writing

Unlike general meetings, the executive committee can vote in writing even though the meeting was not held. A notice of the meeting and copy of the agenda must be put on the notice board 72 hours before the proposed meeting, or a copy of the notice and agenda given to each owner and executive committee member if there is no notice board.

Where a meeting is to be done in writing a notice and agenda must also be given to each executive committee member. A resolution approved in writing by the majority of executive committee members is valid even though a meeting was not held. These resolutions must be put in the minutes.

Objection to motions on agenda

Owners holding more than one-third of the total unit entitlements for the strata scheme can oppose any motion appearing on the agenda for an executive committee meeting. Written notice of the objection must be given to the Secretary of the executive committee before a decision on the motion is made.

Any decision made by the executive committee on that matter will have no force or effect.

Executive Committee Meetings (ECM)